“Piloting” metrics for monitoring biodiversity credits
The first U.S. biodiversity credits were sold in May 2025 for longleaf pine restoration, signaling a new market to support conservation. The Landscape Ecology Lab is pioneering streamlined monitoring protocols using drones and terrestrial lidar to measure vegetation structure in longleaf ecosystems. This cost-effective approach could make biodiversity credits more accessible to small landowners and provide viable financial incentives for conservation work.
ForestSAT2026: Special Session: Applying New Technologies to Forest Hurricane Research
The Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab is hosting two sessions on hurricane-resilient forests at ForestSAT2026 (May 4-8, Gainesville, FL). Eight presentations showcase terrestrial lidar, UAV, and satellite remote sensing innovations for understanding forest resilience to intensifying tropical cyclones. Researchers from across the southeastern United States will present cutting-edge work on hurricane-adaptive canopy traits, wind disturbance impacts, damage assessment using deep learning, and ecological recovery.
NA-IALE: Hurricane Ecology and Restoration (International Association for Landscape Ecology)
The Jones Center Landscape Ecology Lab will showcase restoration and ecology research at the 40th Annual IALE-North America Meeting in Athens, GA. Our team will present three talks, three posters, and a hands-on workshop on lidar analysis in R, advancing our understanding of hurricane impacts on forests, remote sensing applications for restoration monitoring, and sustainable forest management in longleaf pine ecosystems.
Now Hiring: Landscape Ecology Seasonal Technician
We are seeking motivated individuals for a Seasonal Technician position supporting forest ecology and restoration research in longleaf pine woodlands at the Jones Center at Ichauway. The successful applicant will assist with field data collection, tree and understory surveys, terrestrial lidar collection and processing, and UAV operations in a team setting. Application deadline: March 30, 2026.
New paper on fire reintroduction and fertilizer legacy effects on plant communities
The Plant Ecology, Ecohydrology, and Ecological Silviculture Labs collaborated on a recent publication utilizing the Jones Center’s Long-term Productivity project. We found that: •Recovery in species composition was more evident at wetter sites compared to drier sites, likely because of seed establishment limitations at the drier sites. •A legacy of fertilizer addition dampened species richness […]
Measuring Fire Injury with Lidar: New Research and podcast interview on Fire Ecology Chats
We joined a recent episode of Fire Ecology Chats, to discuss our lab’s new research using terrestrial lidar to measure fire-caused crown scorch in longleaf pine. By linking lidar return intensity to scorch severity, this approach offers a faster, more objective alternative to traditional ocular estimates—scaling fire effects measurements from individual trees to entire stands. The conversation explores implications for fire ecology, forest monitoring, and operational fire effects research.
New Study: 48 Wildlife species use uprooted longleaf pine root mounds
We partnered with the Herpetology lab in a new study which showed that uprooted longleaf pine tip-ups—created when trees fall—provide a brief but critical wildlife habitat. Using >1 million camera-trap photos, we documented 48 vertebrate species using the mounds to forage, perch, bask, or shelter. The study highlights how even short-lived storm features support biodiversity and should factor into post-disturbance management decisions.
New Study: Terrestrial lidar provides accurate and objective measures of crown scorch
A new study from our lab shows that terrestrial LiDAR scanning (TLS) can measure crown scorch in longleaf pine with unprecedented speed and objectivity. TLS provides high-resolution, quantitative estimates of fire-caused crown damage—at least 20× faster than traditional ocular methods. The CrownScorchTLS R package makes these tools accessible for researchers and land managers, enabling more precise, mechanistic studies of fire impacts on forests.
Landscape Ecology Lab welcomes Khanh Ton
The Landscape Ecology lab is excited to welcome Khanh Ton as our new Geospatial Analyst! Khanh recently earned her MS from the University of New Hampshire, where she studied how prescribed fire supports red oak regeneration. At the Jones Center, she will lead projects using drones, lidar, and satellite imagery to assess longleaf pine habitat quality. Her geospatial expertise will strengthen our lab’s efforts to apply cutting-edge technology in conservation.
Building hurricane-resilient longleaf pine forests
The Longleaf Leader recently featured our research published in Forest Ecology and Management, which guides how landowners can help longleaf pine forests withstand hurricanes. By managing stand density, encouraging tree taper, and maintaining landscape connectivity, planted longleaf stands can be made more wind-resistant, highlighting practical steps to ensure restoration efforts endure in a hurricane-prone future. Check it out on the Longleaf Alliance website